Denver Broncos Rumors: Jim Harbaugh Could Be Next Head Coach After Gary Kubiak’s Surprise Retirement

The Denver Broncos are rumored to be losing Gary Kubiak to a shocking retirement, but could be gaining Jim Harbaugh as the team makes a run at the most coveted college coach.

Kubiak, who led the Broncos to a Super Bowl title last season, has faced health issues this year and had to leave in an ambulance after a loss to the Atlanta Falcons this season. As Mile High Report noted, Kubiak was diagnosed with what is known as “complex migraine condition” and left the team for a week to recover.

At the time, Gary Kubiak appeared to hint that the high-stress lifestyle of being an NFL coach contributed to the condition. He spoke about a need to improve his sleeping habits, and now it is Kubiak’s family reportedly pushing him toward retirement.

Mile High Report noted that Gary Kubiak is likely to finalize his decision to retire later in the week, after the Broncos season comes to an end.

While it’s not clear what direction the team will take, Mile High Report noted that Michigan Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh could be a likely candidate for the Denver Broncos. There have been rumors for many weeks that Harbaugh could leave Michigan to return to the NFL, where he was successful in his only stint as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers before tensions with the team’s front office led to his exit.

While Harbaugh always denied reports that he was going to leave his alma mater, some football experts believed his departure was much more likely. The Big Lead noted that Harbaugh has never been shy about taking on new jobs, and that his work at Michigan may already be done now that the programs has turned a corner.

“Remember that special thing Harbaugh built at Stanford? You know how they went 12-1 and won the Orange Bowl and barely missed out on the BCS National Championship Game? Hard to walk away from that, right? Well, he did. Then he walked away from the NFL to save his alma matter – which he did. Harbaugh took a struggling program, attached it to the biggest brand in the world and won 10 games in back to back seasons. Harbaugh doesn’t need to win a title to save Michigan football. He already did that.”

And the rumors about Jim Harbaugh coaching the Denver Broncos could have other support. While the Broncos are missing out on the playoffs this season after winning the Super Bowl, the team still has one of the league’s top defenses and could be soon have a new quarterback as well. With the Buffalo Bills appearing ready to move on from Tyrod Taylor, the Broncos could move in on the quarterback that they reportedly tried to make a run at in each of the last two offseasons.

But the Broncos would also be a difficult situation for a new coach. Kubiak’s abrupt departure would be difficult on a team that failed to reach the playoffs after winning the Super Bowl. A new coach would inherit a question mark at quarterback, with rookie Trevor Siemian not doing much to cement his place as starter.

If the rumors that Jim Harbaugh could be coming to the Denver Broncos are true, the team could have to pay a high price to get him. There appear to be an unusual number of openings this season, so if Harbaugh does have ideas of returning to the NFL then it could be up to the highest bidder to win his services.

[Featured Image by Gregory Shamus/AP Images]